CONWAY, Ark. – The Northwestern State softball team likely won't soon forget its feelings the last time the Lady Demons faced Central Arkansas.

NSU had fought its way through the loser's bracket of the Southland Conference Tournament and needed to beat the Bears twice to make its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

But Central Arkansas prevailed in the first game of the championship round – hosted in Natchitoches at Lady Demon Diamond of all places.

Wrap that emotion around the fact that both NSU (22-13, 6-6 SLC) and Central Arkansas (24-14, 6-6 SLC) are on an early bubble to make the conference tournament this season, and what's at stake becomes apparent when the Lady Demons visit UCA for a three-game series starting Friday.

"It's going to be tough, but a lot of people on our team know what it's like to lose to them on our field," said senior Natalie Landry. "Hopefully we go out there hungry and with grit.

"We want to make sure that what happened last year doesn't happen again."

The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon.

Neither team is in a do-or-die scenario of not making the conference tournament with five series remaining, but NSU and UCA are tied for sixth place in a tournament that admits just six teams.

The series winner will have an inside track on the sixth and final position, not to mention a tiebreaker over the loser of this series if needed.

"This is huge. We've had some tough series against Central Arkansas," said NSU coach Donald Pickett. "They are a competitive team, and they play on a turf field up there, and that adds a different element to it.

"They've got good pitchers and hitters that are all-conference caliber players, so it should be a good series."

NSU lost two of three at home to Lamar this past weekend before beating ULM on Tuesday. UCA was swept by Nicholls before taking midweek games against Memphis and at Missouri State.

The Lady Demons haven't lost a regular-season series to UCA since 2010, winning home series in 2013 and 2015 and on the road in 2011 and 2014. The teams split a two-game series in Conway in 2012.

"We've got to go out there stay hungry," said junior Micayla Sorosiak. "We've got to keep fighting and doing what we're doing.

"We've got to go out there and push our limits, do everything we can to grind out a series win or even get a sweep."

NSU has ramped up its power hitting in recent weeks, hitting 18 home runs in the last 13 games. The Lady Demons lead the SLC with 37 in 32 games.

The recent power surge has vaulted multiple players into the top five in several career categories in NSU history.

Junior Kellye Kincannon's 10 home runs this season move her into third place on NSU's list, one shy of second-place Erin Mancuso (38). Junior Brittney Jones is in fifth place with 30 (eight this season) and Natalie Landry is tied for sixth with 29 (nine this season).

Kincannon is second place in RBIs (132) and is the current career leader with a .391 batting average and .772 slugging percentage.

Jones has a knack for drawing walks, and her 23 this season move her into a tie for fifth-place all-time with 69 total.